FranklinGraham

What is the black church? For many, it's a straight line from masses of slaves singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and praying for deliverance in the next world to modern-day masses of worshipers providing ministers with expensive gifts and undying loyalty.
But just as that early American narrative leaves out the Africans who retained their Muslim and other beliefs, the attempt to make Bishop Eddie Long's story the troubled symbol of black religious thought oversimplifies -- and does an injustice to -- the varied traditions of African-American churchgoers as well as the inner conflicts of th...

Critics of today's National Day of Prayer say the congressionally mandated tradition, which dates to 1952, has in effect become a campaign event for the Christian right that features an unseemly mix of politics and religion -- and this year evangelist Franklin Graham appears determined to bolster their arguments.
Continuing to escalate his criticisms of President Obama for not restoring Graham's rescinded invitation to a prayer event at the Pentagon, Graham has warned the president that "millions of Evangelical Christians that voted for Barack Obama in this last election" likely won't "be at ...

Evangelist Billy Graham is 91 years old now and spends his waning days at his mountaintop retreat in North Carolina meeting -- when his health permits -- with fortunate pols like Sarah Palin, as he did last November, or Barack Obama, as he did last week. But "America's Pastor" largely stays out of partisan politics these days, preferring to meet leaders of either party for some spiritual counseling and a photo-op.
Not so Billy Graham's son and heir apparent, Franklin Graham. The younger Graham attended the April 25 meeting between his father and the president in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and...

WASHINGTON (April 26) -- A Muslim civil liberties group urged Congress to disinvite evangelist Franklin Graham from a prayer event, just days after the Pentagon booted the minister from another gathering because of his anti-Islam remarks.
Graham is scheduled to attend the congressional National Day of Prayer event on Capitol Hill on May 6. He was to have led services at the Pentagon the same day but was told last week that he was no longer welcome after Army leaders decided his comments that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion" were a problem. Graham refused to back down, saying on Fox ...

Imagine if a leading American imam decried Christianity as an "evil" religion and then was invited to participate at a National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon. How would conservative pundits, shouting heads, bloggers and politicians react? There would be denunciations, calls for rescinding the invitation, demands for explanations from the Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and questions hurled at the Obama White House. Fox News execs could only be happier if this occurred during sweeps weeks. But if a prominent Christian evangelist described Islam as an "evil" religion and subsequently recei...

WASHINGTON (April 22) -- The Pentagon disinvited evangelist Franklin Graham from a prayer service next month after facing pressure from a group representing angry Muslim military personnel who complained about his attacks on Islam as an "evil" religion.
Graham, the son of famed minister Billy Graham, was scheduled to speak May 6 at a National Day of Prayer event organized by a Colorado group chaired by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. But in a statement released Thursday, Graham said the Army had changed its mind.
"I regret that the Army felt it was necessary...

WASHINGTON (April 21) -- The Pentagon may pull the pulpit on evangelist Franklin Graham amid complaints by Muslim military personnel angry over his attacks on Islam as an "evil" religion.
Graham, the son of famed minister Billy Graham, is scheduled to speak May 6 at a National Day of Prayer event organized by a Colorado group chaired by Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. But Army Secretary John McHugh and Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. were huddling at the Pentagon on Wednesday afternoon deciding whether to rescind the invitation.
"The issue is not the...